Praha

The city of Prague has a population of 1.187 million, and almost 3 million tourists visit each year. The historical centre, with its unique panorama of Prague Castle, is a UNESCO conservation area. As the Czech centre of political and economic administration, industry, trade, education, research and tourism, serious efforts are required in terms of enhanced traffic management.

One of the biggest problems in Prague is the rapidly increasing number of private cars, which has more than doubled since 1990. The recent traffic policy is based on preference for public transport, the development of traffic infrastructure and the regulation of car traffic, particularly in the city centre. Lorry access to the inner city has also been restricted (over 6t and 3.5t).

The goals contained in the city’s strategic plan, adopted by the Municipal Assembly in May 2000, included:

improving the quality and competitiveness of public transport in order to make it more attractive than the private car;

changing the level and style of car use in order to dramatically reduce its negative effects on the city’s environment; and